Running Red Lights - Croydon Style

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by szr660
Just had to get this off my chest but first a bit of background. I used to race bikes very badly in the 80s and have just got back into riding in the last few months, firstly in preparation for the London To Brighton and secondly for general health reasons, and because I LOVE it!.

I drive a car, and ride a motorcycle.

NOW...why do so many bloody cyclists think its OK to just sail through red lights in the Croydon CBD, nearly knocking over pedestrians on the way, shouting abuse if a car nearly punts them off. What do they expect?

I have always thought that cyclists ought to be responsible road users, on the basis of if we want the full rights of the road we have to accept the Highway Code.

Its funny I only noticed this when I started riding a bike again. Maybe, as I am 37, I am turning into Victor Meldrew!!

Its called natural selection, should we interfere? I think NOT, I’m happy for these silly [censored] to work out for them selves that the under a car isn’t a place they ought to be.

Its not that your 37, its more like that fact there are dip****s driving cars, trucks and buses, riding motobikes, walking and also riding BIKES.

cheers

Steve

And many Brisbane cyclists especially in West End has not worked out (thanks to the Queensland Government and Brisbane Council) as responsible road users you must by law walk (not ride) your bike across the crossing when you leave the footpath.

I'm with you on this one, buddy. Nothing I can't stand more than cyclists who don't follow the road rules, both when I'm riding and when driving.

I value my life, so I always wear a helmet, always signal (left & right turns and slowing down/stopping), and always obey all traffic laws. I've never had an accident on the road yet...

Just as there are bad drivers, there are also bad cyclists.

Thanks for the comment stubacca and after living in Sydney for more 20 years where they don't allow cyclists over 12 to ride on the footpath.

I find many Brisbane cyclists would be the one most to break the law and not follow the road rules and this is after living in Brisbane for only 3 years.

Thanks for the comment stubacca and after living in Sydney for more 20 years where they don't allow cyclists over 12 to ride on the footpath.

I have found many Brisbane cyclists would be the ones most to break the law and not follow the road rules and this is after living in Brisbane for only 3 years.

Sometimes it is safer to go through a clear red light than wait.

Cant agree with what you are saying Jonstagg the rules are in place for all to abide by. I understand perfectly what you are saying but boy one law for cyclists and one for the paying motorist ...I dont think so.

Be a law abiding cyclist use the proper hand signals and road laws and hopefully you will be cycling for a long long time and enjoying it.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by robroy
Cant agree with what you are saying Jonstagg the rules are in place for all to abide by. I understand perfectly what you are saying but boy one law for cyclists and one for the paying motorist ...I dont think so.

Be a law abiding cyclist use the proper hand signals and road laws and hopefully you will be cycling for a long long time and enjoying it.

I agree with what you are saying robroy but why do you say a "paying" motorist - how many cyclists out there (on the road) do you think do not own a car as well? and therefore "pay" just as much as any other road user, but fortunately not for petrol.

Its this argument exactly that many dipsh*t motorists believe bike riders should pay registration to ride their bike on the road... my god there would be a battle on any government's hands if they were to try and implement such a thing!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by troyq
I agree with what you are saying robroy but why do you say a "paying" motorist - how many cyclists out there (on the road) do you think do not own a car as well? and therefore "pay" just as much as any other road user, but fortunately not for petrol.

Its this argument exactly that many dipsh*t motorists believe bike riders should pay registration to ride their bike on the road... my god there would be a battle on any government's hands if they were to try and implement such a thing!

Trouble is, these ass-wipe drivers think it's OK to run bikes off the road because they beleive - in their view - cyclists don't pay their way. Actually, everyone pays for the roads in one form or another. The number of time's I've had car drivers put my life at risk is astounding - my crime? Being on two wheels and not four, being two feet in front of them and not twenty feet behind. It's a power thing, and the cyclist is an easy target.

Car drivers are quick to slate cyclists who don't follow rules, but where I live the number of pillocks using their cars as weapons to take their frustration out on cyclists far outnumber any two-wheeled menace. Talk about not stopping at lights; how about giving bikes room? Undercutting at junctions and islands - and lights? Failing to give right of way?

In my view there's more bad car drivers than cyclists because they know the consequences of their stupidity won't hurt as much unless they're caught..

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jonstagg
Sometimes it is safer to go through a clear red light than wait.

And by doing this you give other cyclists an bad name, but then by running a red light I guess you shouldn't taken anyone to court.

I recently had a driver not see me (that's tricky since I am a "bit" larger than the typical person riding an urban assault vehicle) and fail to yield the right of way. It was only with my size 14 Adidas planted on his fender that he realized the error of his ways. He then wanted to have the police involved for the dent in his car. Probably not the best idea here in Oregon for that idiot. We seem to be one of the more "bike friendly" places, more so than when I lived in Colorado anyways. As the "moment" was heating up a policeman arrived and after listening to me, the driver, and several others who saw things clearly the cop told the driver he was lucky he didn't feel like writing him a ticket since I was OK! I really hope I am a more aware driver than that moron! I guess I wrote this to illustrate kwv's point: if we don't pay attention to the rules, then we are no better than the ones we are complaining about. Have a pint of me, or someone!

K.

Originally posted by jonstagg
Sometimes it is safer to go through a clear red light than wait.

I Understand what you are saying jonstagg. But I don't agree that you should go through red lights unless you have a good reason to. I have been cycling for 20 years and have never had an accident because I ride sensibly and am aware of what's around me. I would never run a light but in many cities now they have one line for the cars to wait at and another 5 meters ahead for the bikes to wait at. This means that the cyclists don't get squeezed off the road at traffic lights and hopefully the [censored] driving the cars behind can actually see you and not pull away so fact that they hit your rear wheel (I'm allowed to say this because I drive 40,000 miles a year).

Unfortunately most lights don't have these advanced stops for cyclists so I tend to pull in front of the stop line and move in front of the cars at the lights, it might [censored] them off a little but by the time they've pulled off I'm already 10 metres in front and will have pulled back over to the left side of the road.

The cycling on the sidewalk/pavement issue is a fun one. I do it some of the time, but........I cycle at the same speed as the pedestrians ie When i'm on the road i cycle fast on the pavement I cycle slow. The reason for cycling on the pavement is simple. If i am pushing my bike i take up twice as much width as when I am cycling slowly. Actually I am usually just pushing myself along with my feet otherwise I would fall over (I use spd pedals).

Anyone who races along on the pavement should definately have a spanner put in their spokes :o)

I'm no angel but I've never hit a car or a pedestrian. I have however been hit by a bus and hit people stepping into the road in front of me without looking, I can assure you the latter will never do that again - being hit by a bike travelling at over 25mph is a bit of a shock!!

The ONLY time I go through reds is if it is on a |- sort of road, and I'm travelling up the left. ADD to this, if there are NO pedestrians crossing, and it is COMPLETELY safe to cross. Often, if you keep going you get an advantage on the cars, and this keeps them and you happy, as they don't have to wait for you to get going again, and can often just sail around you when they meet you further up the road.

However, that is the only time. I can't believe it when I see some people sail straight through intersections. Begging death for a visit.

Oh! Good Lord! That's the other thing... people with helmets fastened to their handlebars. Where's the logic here?!?

... only when im running late to uni on my bike
and
... only to keep up my HR-- it's a fitness thing!!
oh and
... only when i don't see any cops around.

but i think i see the evolving animosity: if cyclists disobey road rules, drivers get [censored] and they won't be as nice in the future. it makes riding a whole lot worse for everyone else. i think drivers in Melbourne have generally become less considerate. people are cutting into lanes and giving way less (to other drivers).

and the simple wave or lifting a finger off the steering wheel with a little nod when you let someone through a skinny street with parked cars seems to be disappearing. i was driving in brighton and thought i'd be nice and let a car through a street like this, and the stupid peroxide blonde [censored] of a mother in the car-- who i can guarantee wears mock-tortoiseshell sunglasses and and a white ski parka with fur trim-- just drove through without a hint of acknowledgement. she's earnt herself some bad karma-- hopefully a botox overdose or a horribly wrong bad [censored] job.

I used to live in the UK and whilst riding in London, Brighton and other large towns/cities soon came to realise that as far as most car owners are concerned cyclists do not exist, I've had many a close call after having stopped for a red light and then the drivers around me nearly crushing me against railings/other cars in their haste to go on green, not to mention big fricking trucks that turn left without checking their mirrors, and don,t even get me started on taxis and buses.

Nowadays I ride as though every other moving object on the road or sidewalk is out to hurt/kill me, I have found you have to develop a 360 degree field of awareness to stay alive and as long as you are aware of your surroundings you can ride as you wish without endangering yourself or anyone else, if you want to run a red just use common sense, you shoould have checked for crossing pedestrians long before you hit the junction and be ready to stop if a left right glance shows fast moving vehicles, ride on the sidewalk if it's empty and if you have to stop get out in front of any cars at the light so they know you are there. The Highway code? how many motorists do you think give it a second thought after their driving test.

The only valid reason to run lights, in my book, is if you can't trip the sensors. There are many signals on my commute that I can't trip by stopping over the sensors. And I make sure the road is clear before entering the intersection. Of course, if there are cars coming behind, I will wait for them to trip the light for me..

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by su22
but i think i see the evolving animosity: if cyclists disobey road rules, drivers get [censored] and they won't be as nice in the future. it makes riding a whole lot worse for everyone else.

I'm actually not so sure that "cyclists breaking road rules" is the real reason for animosity between drivers and cyclists. I know a lot of people claim that cyclists breaking the road rules is what causes drivers to react the way they do, to this I merely ask how do you know?

I'm not asking why you think drivers react the way they do, or why logic tells you they react like that. I'm asking how do you know that this is the reason for their reaction. What if they're just in a bad mood generally? The fact is, you won't know for sure unless you ask them personally - and even then this is no guarantee of getting the facts because there aren't many who will actually admit to just being in a bad mood.

The other thing I mentioned in another thread is the number of drivers who continually run red lights and so on, yet nobody accuses them of giving drivers "a bad name". To be honest, I think it's just a way of trying to shift the blame for road rage onto the victim, and I, for one, don't buy it.

One must also question the judgement of any driver who can't tell the difference between a law-abiding cyclist and a law breaker. Frankly, if they can't, they must have a pretty limited knowledge of the road rules themselves in my book.

Don't get me wrong, I don't run red lights myself (unless I get a non-responsive sensor, in which case the law says that normal give way rules apply). However, my reasons for following the laws are not because of how others will perceive me or anyone else. I follow the laws because I believe doing the right thing is it's own reward.